Packaging-machine.



e. P. HALL.- PACKAGING MA HINE. APPLICATION IILBD 001222,

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

WITNESSES G. F. HALL.

PACKAGING MACHINE. AiPLIOATIOH FILED 00122, 1908.

Pate'nted Aug. 1, 1911.

5 sums-sum 2.

G. F. HALL.

PAUKAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 00122, 1908.

Patented Aug. 1; 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

Afr/m5 G. F. HALL.

PACKAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION rum) OCT. 22, 1908.

999,555. Patented Aug. '1, 1911.

6 SHEETS-333! 4.

//A." mi

G. F. HALL.

PACKAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 22, 1908.

Patented'Aug. 1, 1911.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

' l/Vl/ENTOR NrrE s'rans PA Fries.

GIDEON F. HALL, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR 0F TWO-THIRDS TO JOSEPHF. GARCIA, OF BROOKLYN, YORK.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, GInEoN F. HALL, of the borough of Brooklyn, countyof Kings, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Packaging-Ma.- chines, of which the following is a full,clear, and exact specification, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to-make and use the same.

My invention relates to a machine for antomatically wrapping rectangularpackages such as caramels, although it may be adapted without materialchange to operations on numerous other articles.

The central idea of the invention involves the automatic movement of thewrapping and the goods over a fixed path in the machine by whichmovement the wrapping is engaged by cam surfaces and other eculiardevices and the necessary folds thereby successively effected.

A further feature of the invention resides in the use of the chain orother means for propelling the goods, as the means for imparting, inproper time, the necessary op erative motions to the moving parts of themachine, thus making one partserve a double function and to that extentsimplifying the mechanism.

Various other features of importance are involved and all will be fullyset forth hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which represent as anexample, one manner in which the principles of my invention may bepractically embodied and in which- Figure l is a series of five diagramsillustrating the manner of making the various' folds of the wrapping;Fig. 2 is a plan View of the machine; Fig. 3 is a central longitudinalsection on the line 33 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a plan View with parts insection illustrating the chain and the means for driving the operativeparts; Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4 showing the hopperand its driving devices; Fig. 6 is an irregular section approximately onthe line 66 of Fig. 4 showing the devices for pressing the goods fromthe hopper to the chain; Fig. 7 is a section 011 the line 77 of Fig. 4showing the paper knife and its operating devices; Figs. 8 and 9 aredetail views of the cam wheel forming part of the knife operat-Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 22, 1908.

Patented Aug. ,1, 1911.

Serial No. 458,982.

ing devices; Fig. 10 is a section on the line 1010 of Fig. 4 showing thefolder blade and its operating devices; Fig. 11 is an enlarged plan viewshowing the cams for making certain of the folds in the wrapper as willhereinafter fully appear; Fig. 12 is a perspective view of one set ofsaid cams; Fig. 13 is an edge view of the folder blade showing the camfingers thereon; Fig. 14 is a detail perspective of the cam driven barforming part of the paper knife operating device illustrated in Fig. 7;and Fig. 15 is a detail section on the line 1515 of Fig. 6 showing themanner of mounting the hopper plunger.

The form and construction of the framing of the machine is unimportantand for the sake of brevity has not been fully illustrated. The table ortop portion of the framing alone is here shown and this is preferablycomposed of laminations 20 secured bv dowels or the like as illustratedat 21 in Fig. 2, which furnishes a convenient manner of constructing themachine and of assembling its parts. In the table is formed, longitudinally thereof, a'pathway 22 for the chain 23 and above this apathway 24 for the goods. Inthe top lamination 20 an opening 25 isformed through which the goods are introduced into the pathway 24. Thechain 23 is preferably a sprocket of the usual type and runs over wheels26 to one of which continuous driving motion is imparted by gears 89 and90 fastened respectively to the sprocket and to the rotating prime mover30, this sprocket 26 and the gear 89 being loosely mounted on the shaft28 of said sprocket.

The hopper is in the form of a spider 31 having pockets 32 conforming tothe shape of the goods and into which the goods are placed manually byan attendant. This spider 31 is mounted to turn on a stud shaft 33rising from the table and the hopper is so positioned that its pocketspass over and in line with the opening 25.- The hopper is given a stepby step motion so that its pockets will successively rest over theopening 25 and allow the goods to fall or be pushed from the pocketsinto and through such opening. For so operating the hopper a gear 34 ispinned to the hopper on the center of the stud 33 and is meshed with agear 35 on a rotating shaft 36 (see Fig. 5). This shaft standsvertically in the table and carries in a recess 37 on the level of thepathway 22 a star wheel 38 (see Fig. 4) which 'isintended to be engagedby a cam stud 39 on the chain 23. In this manner the shaft 36 isintermittently rotated and from it the hopper is driven as described.

On the stationary stud 33 is fastened an arm 40 which overhangs theopening 25 and has a slotted vertically disposed bearing 41 carrying thepin 42 of the hopper plunger 43. 44 indicates a spring coiled aroundthis pin and serving to keep the plunger normally raised clear of thepockets of the hopper. When a pocket of the hopper comes to rest overthe opening 25 the plunger 43 makes a descent through the pocket andpresses the goods from the pocket through the opening and into thepathway 24. For so moving the plunger a lever 45 is extended through theslot in the bearing 41 and pivoted to the pin 42. Said lever isfulcrumed on a stud 46 carried by the table and its second arm isarticulated to a pin 47 sliding vertically. in a cavity in the table. Atits lower end the pin 47 is beveled (see Fig. 6) and engaged by thecorresponding beveled end of a horizontally sliding pin 48 carried inone of the laminations 20 of the tables. The inner end of the pin 48 isalso beveled (see Fig. 4) and it is adapted to be engaged by a cam 49also on the chain 23 but at an elevation different from that of the cam39 so that these cams will strike and actuate only the devices relatedto them. As the cam 49 pushes in the pin 48 the pin 47 is raised thusthrowing down the inner end of the lever 45 and actuating the plunger43. When the cam 49 leaves the pin 48 the spring 44 returns the parts tonormal or inactive posit-ion.

The goods by my invention are wrapped in paper or equivalent materialand according to the machine here illustrated this paper is suppliedfrom a .roll 50 sustained by a bracket 51. From the roll 50 the paperpasses under an idler 52 and thence between feed rolls 53. These feedrolls are driven by an intermediate gear 54 in turn driven from a spur55loose on the shaft 28. The gear 55 has fastened thereto a disk 27carrying pins 27 adapted to be engaged by a two fingered wiper 29fastened on the shaft 30. In this man-.

ner the paper is fed intermittently in time with the other operations ofthe machine as will fully appear hereinafter. The top of the table isformed with a way 56 (see Fig. 2) along which the paper is designed totravel, said way extending over the opening 25 and beyond to a pointnear the stud shaft 33.

' 57 indicates the knife which serves to cut the paper into lengthssuitable for wrapping the goods. This knife is guided vertically inboxes 58 and is actuated by a lever 59 one arm of which is pivoted tothe knife 57 and the other arm is pivoted to the bar 60 guidedverticallyjin the table. The lever 59 is fulcrumed on one of the boxes58 as lndicated at 61. Said bar 60 is formedlsee Figs. 7 and.

14) with lugs 62 and 63 having inclined surfaces which are adapted to beengaged by the cam' fingers 64 of a wheel 65. This wheel is suitablyarranged in a cavity in the table and is designed to be actuatedintermittently by-two cams 66 on the chain 23. The cam surfaces on theparts 62, 63 and 64 are so disposed that rotation of the wheel 64 willresult in a back and forth motion of the bar 60 and in this manner thelever 59 is operated to raise and lower the knife 57, which knife,stroking against the ledge blade 67, serves to cut the paper intolengths suitable for Wrapping the goods. It will,- therefore, appearthat the goods are pushed through the opening 25 by the plunger 43 thesection of paper severed by the knife 57 lying under the goods andpassing down with the same through the opening 25 into the pathway 24.At this period the paper assumes the position shown at I in Fig. 1, itsends lying vertically in the opening 25. The second operation consistsin folding over one of the edges of the paper as indicated at a in Fig.1 and in tucking in one side of the and thence horizontally into thepathway 24 and have the cams 71 attached as shown. These cams, movingwith the blade, serve to stroke past the ends of the goods and to foldin the side edges of the paper or wrapping as indicated at b in Fig. l.The blade 68 is actuated by an arm 72 fastened on a rock shaft 73arranged vertically in the table. At its lower end the shaft 73 carriesa disk 74 to which two pins 75 are fastened and these pins are engagedby push pins 76 sliding horizontally in the table and actuated by a cam77 on the chain 23. As the chain advances the shaft 73 is given a rapidrocking motion and this is transmitted to the arm 72 which gives theblade 68 a rapid forward and back motion, the forward motion beingsufiicient to overtake the goods, moving with the chain as willhereinafter appear, and turn down the fold as shown at a Fig. 1. At thesame time the cams 71 move past the ends of the goods and tuck in theends of the wrapping as shown at b Fig. 1.

The first periods in the operation of the machine are the action of therolls 53 to feed the paper,.the knife 57 to sever the same and therotation'of the hopper to position one of scribed. At this time thechain23 has ad- 'van'ced sufliciently to bring its two lugs 78 beneath theopening 25 so that .the goods are received on the chain between thelugs. At this time the plunger 43 descends and moves the goods throughthe opening 25 and the continued motion of the chain causes the blade 68and earns 71 to overtake the goods and fold the wrapper as previouslydescribed. The next operation is illustrated in Fig. 1, when theopposite edge is folded down as at c and the opposite end is tucked inas at d. This is brought about by the motion of the goods, with thechain under the wall 7 9 which folds down the flap 0 Fig. 1, andimmediately thereafter the ends of the wrapper run against the cams 80which tuck in such ends d. The arms 70 carrying the cams 71 are slightlyyielding to compensate for variations in the size of the goo s and forthe same reason that the cams are carried on studs 81 movabletransversely in the table and pressed by springs 82. The wrapper havingassumed at each end the form indicated at c and d in Fig. 1, thenextoperation thereon consists in folding upward the bottom part of thewrapper as indicated at 6 Fig. 1. This is effected by the advance of thegoods with the chain 23 past the cams 83. Said cams are arranged in andat opposite sides of the pathway 24 and are so shaped that as the endsof the wrapper .pass them the bottom parts of such wrapper are turnedupwardly by the cams and the fold a is thereby effected. To allow forvariations in the size of the goods the cams 83 are guided transverselyby studs and springs the same as the cams 80. Finally the top parts ofthe ends of the wrapper are folded down as at f Fig. 1. This is eflectedby the cams 86 which are disposed oppositely to the cams 83. The cams86, like the cams 80 and 83, are guided transversely by studs 87 andpressed inward by springs 88 (see Fig. 11), which allow the cams to giveand take according to the varying sizes of the goods being wrapped.These operations take place as the goods advance with the chain 23 andafter the goods pass the cams 86 they emerge from'the machine with thewrapper folded at each end as described. 8

The operation of the organized machine may be traced as follows: At thebeginning of the operation the parts 29, 27, 55 and cause the rolls 53to operate and a section of paper is fed under the knife 57 and hopper31 and over the opening 25. The chain 23 moves continuously andsimultaneously with the feeding of the paper. The cam 39 strikes thewheel 38 and the hopper is given a partial movement positioning one ofthe pockets 32 over the opening '25. Instantly thereafter the. cams 66actuate the cam wheels 65 and cause the knife 57 to sever the wrapplngpaper into the necessary length and upon the completion of this descentof the knife, the cam 49 strikes the pin 48 and forces the plungerthrough the pocket 32 below it and into the opening 25 carrying downonto the chain 23 the caramel or othenarticle to be wrapped. At thistime the chain 23 has advanced sufficiently to bring the'lugs 78 atopposite sides of the opening 25 and the article to be wrapped is seatedon the chain between the lugs with the wrapper bent U-shaped under it inthe form indicated at I Fig. 1. The lugs 78 bearing on opposite sides ofthe caramel or the like, hold the same true on the chain and prevent itfrom turning sidewise in the pathway 24. At the instant. the article isthus seated on the chain, the cam 77 acts on the pins 7 6 and cause thefolder blade 68 to move rapidly forward faster than the chain therebyovertaking the article and turning down and forward the first foldindicated at a Fig. 1. This movement of the folder 68 also advances thecams 71 past the ends of the article and folds the corners of thewrapper as at I) Fig. 1. The blade 68 then returns and the continuingmovement of the chain carries the article successively past the cams80,83 and 86 and the shoulder 79, making the folds (2, (i, e and Fig.l'as before explained. From the cam 86 the chain carries the wrapped.article out of the machine.

In the drawings, in the interest of simplicity, I have shown the chain23 equipped with only one set of cams 39, 49, 66 and 77 and lugs 78. Inpractice, however. the chain may be equipped with any number of suchsets. as convenience and expedience may dictate, the object being inpractice to hai'e the operations follow each other in rapid succession,thereby operating the machine to its full capacity. Further, theproportions and arrangement of the parts and the timing of the variousoperations are intended to be indicated only approximately in thedrawings; various changes may be made in this respect without departingfrom the invention so long as the principles of operation set forth inthe specification and claims are preserved.

Havingthus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway for the articleand its wrapper, means for introducing the article laterally into suchpathway, a folder blade adapted to move over the article and fold downone side of the wrapper, fingers moving in unison with the folder bladeto engage the ends-of the wrapper and form tucks inward to the end ofthe article, means for advancing the article and wrapper in the pathway,whereby the top wall of the pathway folds down the second side of thewrapper, cams at opposite sides of the pathway to engage the ends of thewrapper opposite the said tucks and form other tucks adapted to moveover the article and fold down one side of the wrapper during theadvancement of the article, fingers moving in unison with the folderblade to engage the ends of the wrapper and form tucks inward to the endof the article, a traveling chain for advancing the article and wrapperin the pathway, whereby the top wall of the pathway folds down thesecond side of the wrapper, cams at opposite sides of the pathway toengage the ends of the wrapper opposite the said tucks and form othertucks in direction toward the first tucks, and two additional cams ateach side of the pathway disposed oppositely to each other and adaptedto engage the ends of the wrapper at points between the said tucks andfold such points inward toward each other over the tucks,

3. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway for the articleand its wrapper, means for introducing the article laterally into suchpathway, a folder blade adapted to move over the article and fold downone side of the wrapper, fingers moving in unison with the folder bladeto engage the ends of the wrapper and form tucks inward to the end ofthe article, means for advancing the article and wrapper in the pathway,whereby the top wall of the pathway folds down the second side of thewrapper, camsat opposite sides of the pathway to engage the ends of thewrapper opposite the said tucks and form other tucks in direction towardthe 'first tucks, and two additional cams at each side of the pathwaydisposed oppositely to each other and adapted to engage the ends of thewrapper at points between the said tucks and fold such pointsinwardtoward each other over the tucks, and devices set in action bysaid means for advancing the article and wrapper for operating thefolder blade in proper time.

4. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway for the articleand its wrapper, means for introducing the article laterally into suchpathway, a folder blade adapted to move over the article and fold downone side of the wrapper, fingers m'oving'in unison with the folder bladeto engage the ends of the wrapper and form vtucks inward to the end ofthe article, a

traveling chainfor advancing the article and wrapper in the pathway,whereby the top wall of the pathway folds down the second side of thewrapper cams at opposite sides of the pathway to engage the ends of thewrapper opposite the said tucks and form other tucks'in direction towardthe first tucks, two additional cams at each side of the pathwaydisposed oppositely to each other and adapted to engage the ends of thewrapper at points between the said tucks and fold such points inwardtoward each other over the tucks, and means for operating the folderblade in proper time including a part in a predetermined position on thechain.

5. A packaging machine having a carrier chain to advance the article andits wrapper, devices against which the wrapper is moved to fold thesame, a hopper having a plurality of pockets to position the articles, a

single plunger to move articles from the several pockets successively tothe chain and devices controlled from the chain for operating theplunger,

-6. A packaging machine having a carrier chain toadvance thearticle andits wrapper, devices against which the wrapper is moved to fold thesame, a member having a plurality of pockets to position successivearticles, a single plunger to move the articles from the pockets to thechain, devices controlled from the chain for operating the plunger, suchdevices comprising a detentcam on the chain and connections totheplunger arranged in the path of the detent cam.

7. A packaging machine having a hopper rotating with a step-by-stepmotion to position the article to be recelved by the carrier, gearingincluding a star wheel to operate the hopper, folding devices, a carrierfor advancing the article and wrapper to such devices and a means on thecarrier periodically to engage said star wheel for the purposespecified.

8. A packaging machine having folding means for the wrapper, a carrierto advance the article and wrapper to the folding means, a hopper havinga plurality of chambers each receiving a single article, a member tomove the articles from said chambers in succession to the carrier anddevices for operating the second named means, such devices drivenperiodically from the carrier.

.9. A packaging machine having folding means for the wrapper, a carrierto advance the article and wrapper to the folding means, a hopper, meansto move the article from the hopper to the carrier, devices foroperating the second named means, such devices driven periodically fromthe carrier,

i for moving said hopper, folding devices, a

carrier chain for receiving the article from said hopper and serving toadvance the article and its wrapper past the folding devices, andmeanson the carrier chain acting to periodically actuate said hopper movingmeans.

11. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway along which thearticle and wrapper travel, folding devices with which the wrappercontacts to fold the same, a hopper, a plunger to move the article fromthe hopper to the pathway and an endless carrier chain movable alongsaid pathway to advance the article and having a detent for operatingthe plunger.

12. A packaging machine having an end less carrier chain, a hopperrotating with a step by step motion to position the article to bereceived by said carrier chain, and gearing including a star wheel tooperate the hopper, said chain having a detent for engaging with saidstar wheel to intermittent-1y rotate the latter.

13. A packaging machine having an endless carrier chain, anintermittently moving hopper, and a plunger for moving articles fromsaid hopper to said chain, said chain havin means carried thereby foroperating said hopper and said plunger.

14. A packaging machine having a hopper,-a plunger for removing articlestherefrom, a folding device, a wrapper cutting device and an endlesscarrier chain for receiving the article from the plunger and foroperating said hopper, plunger, folder, and cutter intermittently andseparately.

15. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway, a flexibleendless carrier movable along said pathway and adapted to support thearticle and wrapper, a spider mounted above said carrier and having alurality of pockets, said spider being,

rotat-a le to move said pockets transversely of said carrier insuccession, a plunger mounted above said spider and serving to removethe articles from said pockets successively, means for moving saidcarrier continuousl and means on said carrier for moving sai spider.

16. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway, a flexiblevendless carrier movable along said pathway and adapted to support thearticle and wrapper, a spider mounted above said carrier and having aplurality of pockets, said spider being rotatable to move said pocketstransversely of said carrier in succession, a plunger mounted above saidspider and serving to remove the articles from said pocketssuccessively, means for moving said carrier continuously, means on saidcarrier for moving said spider, and means on said carrier independent ofsaid last mentioned means for operating'sa-id plunger intermittently.

17. A packaging machine having parts forming a pathway, an endlessflexible. carrier movable along said pathway, means for deliveringarticles to said carrier, said means being operated directly by saidcarrier, and a wrapper folding member disposed Within said pathway andalso operated directly from said carrier.

18. A packaging machine having parts forming a straight pathway, anendless carrier having a straight run movable along said pathway toadvance the article and wrapper, folding devices along said pathway andsupported by said'parts and past which the article and wrapper are movedby the carrier, means for supplying the article to the carrier, cams onsaid carrier for periodically actuating said means, means for supplyingthe wrapper and devices independent of the carrier for periodicallyactuating the wrapper supplying means.

19. A packaging machine having parts forming a straight pathway, aflexible endless carrier havlng a straight run disposed within saidpathway and serving-to advance the article and wrapper, folding deviceswithin said part-s ad acent said pathway and past which the article andwrapper are moved by the carrier, means for supplying the article to thecarrier, such means being actuated periodically from the carrier, meansfor supplying the wrapper, devices independent vof the carrier forperiodically actuating the wrapper supplying means, a knife for cuttingthe wrapper into lengths and a cam actuated by the carrier forperiodically operating the knife.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GIDEON F. HALL.

Witnesses ISAAC B. OWENS, C. J. HORTON.

